Yesterday, I explained the significant interventions that are being made, and I won't rehearse those now. Significant improvements have taken place across the health board over the past seven years and the institution is fundamentally different from the one that was placed under special measures. The executive team has been renewed, including a new chief executive and medical director, among others. The way that the health board engages with staff, partners and the public does demonstrate that there is greater maturity and increasing efficiency within the board. That can now support their work in delivering the long-term strategy for clinical, integrated services and the service transformation related to that.

The health board has demonstrated the ability to drive improvement that enables services to be taken out of special measures. Maternity services and out-of-hours services have achieved this progress and they are now part of a continuous improvement campaign by the board itself.

We must bear in mind that over 19,000 members of staff care for the population of north Wales every day and, for the majority, the care is good, be that in a GP surgery, in out-patient clinics, in the community or in hospital. Although the institution is now under a higher level of targeted intervention, I would like to reassure the patients and communities served by the health board, and the staff who work in that health board, that services and day-to-day activities will continue as usual. However, there are significant areas of concern that must be carefully addressed by the board, and I will ensure that they are monitored.